THIS HIKE WAS SUBMITTED BY KELSEY GRAY

Photos
Map

Photo by Kelsey Gray

Difficulty

Connects With

Miles One Way

Miles from
Anchorage

General Vicinity

Season

Description

This valley is rather remote compared to all the people that go through Hatcher's Pass. Also, be prepared to share this hike with rock climbers since this has some of the best climbing in Alaska. There are also trails which go past Fern Mine and over the mountain to Lane Glacier. I hear there is a cabin back there which costs nothing to use. The best  time to climb in this area is probably from July to September. However, I believe there are also snow sports here throughout the winter.

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The Following is Contributed by Ross Timm:

Hiked up from Independence Mine (State Park Area).. established trail they are redoing at this time on right hand side of Mine's valley (if you are facing looking uphill on the road to the fee station). Nice new route goes by a cool deteriorated sod/corrugated metal cabin, then steep uphill to a hidden tarn.. Water from it runs under overgrown boulders, real neat sound. From Lake you can go left and skirt shore and then boulder field, and make way to saddle, but trail is gone half way there and you are just sloping along steep (sometimes very steep) alpine tundra and boulder fields. Thought we could gain ridge to the right, get around the lake valley, and make it back to the road along a nice gradual ridge, but once we made the saddle we realized it was a little too sketchy: VERY steep drop-offs along ridge and down to Archangel Valley. My two photos are 1. saddle looking down at Tarn (amazingly clear water) and towards road and Bonanza Mine. 2. saddle looking out at Archangel Valley/ Reed Lakes Valley. This route was not really described in guide books or at trail head, but is pretty short; took us 1.5 hours total. The state park mine area is lacking in established trails, at least in my books.

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Important Information

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